Shadrach Minkins: from Fugitive Slave to Citizen

Summary: Drawing on extensive new documentary sources,
Shadrach Minkins follows the dramatic life of an ordinary
African American in slavery and freedom in the middle of the nineteenth
century. It tells the story of Minkins' life as a slave in Norfolk, Virginia,
his flight to Boston in 1850, his arrest under the new Fugitive Slave Law, his
daring rescue by black Bostonians, and his escape to Canada. Finally, the book
uncovers the previously unknown story of the lives of Shadrach Minkins and
other African American expatriates in Montreal who created the city's first
black community.

Chapter 1: "Han't Got No Self"Norfolk and Norfolk life ca. 1800
-- Shadrach Minkins' birth -- Thomas Glenn, first owner -- Norfolk in the 20s
and 30s -- free blacks and slaves -- life at Glenn's Eagle Tavern -- effects
of the Nat Turner rebellion -- death of Thomas and Ann Glenn -- sudden
uncertainty of life for the Glenn slaves

Chapter 2: "Sheep, Pigs, Horses, Slaves"The Glenn estate --
slaves "hired out" while Glenn children grow up -- sale to store owner Martha
Hutchings -- black life and community in the 30s and 40s -- failure of
Hutchings' business -- slave sales to Deep South -- Shadrach Minkins sold for
a second and third time -- new owners and work -- black and white tensions in
mid-century Norfolk -- black culture, opportunities, limitations, and
hopes

Chapter 3: "The Silver Trump of Freedom"1849 visit of Daniel
Webster to Norfolk -- Shadrach's decision -- the typical fugitive slave
described -- Shadrach Minkins fits the portrait -- overview of fugitive slave
traffic -- the "Underground Railroad" and Norfolk connections by water with
Philadelphia and Boston -- Norfolk efforts to halt fugitives -- Norfolk black
assistants -- passage of the Fugitive Slave Law and its implications --
dangers of flight by water -- captains who collaborated, for a price -- the
journey -- (almost) free at last

PART TWO: Boston, Massachusetts (7 chapters)

Chapter 4: "Cradle of Liberty"?Boston compared to Norfolk --
Minkins' arrival and early struggle in Boston -- Boston barriers in housing,
occupations, social life -- Frederick Douglass' Boston experiences -- visitors
and businessmen from Norfolk -- first work -- social and political
conservatism of Boston's elite -- strengths of the black community in Boston:
church, other organizations, leaders -- Minkins finds work at Cornhill Coffee
House -- militancy of Boston's black community

Chapter 5: "A New Reign of Terror"Effects of the passage of the
Fugitive Slave Law in Boston and the nation -- flight to Canada -- protest
meetings -- first cases under the new law --Hamlet case in New York --
fugitive slaves in the border states and further north -- panic in Boston --
rumors, flight -- Boston blacks meet to organize resistance -- mostly white
Boston Vigilance Committee formed -- sketch of its members and activities --
Frederick Douglass' fiery speech at the initial meeting -- Whig papers
ridicule black fears -- history of earlier Boston cases -- Webster in
Boston

Chapter 6: "Much Excitement Prevails"First case in Boston --
arrival of the claimant's agents -- history of famous fugitive slave couple
William and Ellen Craft -- Boston's Webster-Whig federal officials act
hesitantly and ineffectively -- the black community and Vigilance Committee
hound the claimants -- Ellen Craft is safely hidden -- William Craft and the
black community arm themselves and wait -- federal marshal Charles Devens'
qualms and legal problems -- stalemate -- Crafts sent to England -- Webster
arrives (too late) to assist -- first reaction in Boston and nation to the
failure -- Webster's friends organize "Union" meeting -- lingering fears in
black community -- other attempts on fugitives in Boston and the North

Chapter 10: "North Star II"Minkins' late night arrival in
Concord on day of rescue -- the Concord abolitionist group -- brief rest at
home of a Concord blacksmith -- Thoreau -- from Concord to Leominster -- the
"female attire" legend -- trail grows faint after Leominster -- to Fitchburg
-- to Vermont -- to the Canadian line

PART THREE: Montreal, Quebec (3 chapters)

Chapter 11: "Please to Remember Me Kindly"Arrival in Montreal
-- city characterized -- distribution and origin of black population across
Canada -- Toronto's large fugitive community -- situation of the few blacks in
Montreal described -- a few white sympathizers identified -- Minkins'
thank-you' note -- Montreal attitudes toward fugitive slaves -- the search for
work -- ironies of the benefit concert by Butler's Real Ethiopian
Serenaders

Chapter 12: A Home Far Away, 1851-1859Harriet Beecher Stowe
uses Montreal setting for Harris family home -- actual difficulties and
adjustments compared with Stowe's fictional account -- reports of 1851
visitors who sought out Shadrach Minkins -- story of S's struggles of the
first 6 months -- fellow fugitive Charles Williams -- no further news for two
years -- Boston May/June 1851 trials of John Scott and Lewis Hayden for
Minkins' rescue -- hung juries -- Robert Morris's trial -- Morris acquitted --
two trials of white editor Elizur Wright in 1852 -- failure of Webster's
presidential aspirations in June -- Whig Party disintegration -- Wright's
acquittal (Concord blacksmith who sheltered Shadrach Minkins on jury) in same
week as Webster's death -- U.S. District Attorney finally gives up the cases
-- Minkins' Montreal restaurant in 1853 -- marriage to an Irish woman -- their
children -- fugitive slaves continue to be hunted in U.S. -- Minkins' reaction
to Boston cases of Thomas Sims and Anthony Burns -- more fugitive slaves reach
Montreal -- newcomers characterized -- Minkins tries other restaurants and
trading, then takes up barbering -- evidence of a social network among
Montreal's black expatriates from the U.S. -- Montreal fugitives threatened by
an attempt to lure them back across the Canadian border

Chapter 13: A Fragile Community, 1860-1866Coming of the Civil
War -- Minkins moves family to Montreal's St. Antoine district -- increase in
black immigrants from U.S. -- Montreal's black population in 1861 census
characterized -- loose residential clusters - some evidence of racial
prejudice in Montreal -- Montreal blacks participate in a meeting following
John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry -- hold first black community meeting --
present petition (denied) to form black militia company -- other group
activities -- first Montreal celebrations of the August 1 emancipation in the
British West Indies -- effects of the Civil War and Emancipation Proclamation
in Montreal -- core of black expatriates choose to remain in Montreal after
the Civil War

EPILOGUE -- aftermath of the Civil War in Norfolk, Boston, and
Montreal -- dwindling number of Montreal's black expatriates from antebellum
years -- Minkins' last years -- death in 1875 -- changes in Montreal by end of
century - Montreal's 20th-century black community -- silent connections to the
days of the fugitive slave refugees -- scene in the Mount Royal cemetery, June
1, 1990